FMB takes the USPA Piaget Silver Cup in Santa Barbara

By Alex Webbe

FMB (Dan Walker, Inaki Laprida, Lucas Criado and Henry Walker)got eight goals from

Lucas Criado, including two in the final chukker as they outlasted La Herradura (Alvaro

Fernandez, Marianito Obregon, Memo Gracida, Carlos Gracida) 12-11 in  the hotly

contested final of the 2013 USPA Piaget Silver Cup at the Santa  Barbara Polo Club

Sunday afternoon.

Inaki Laprida scored the first goal of the game for FMB, with La Herradura’s Carlos

responding with the tying goal.  The two teams played defense for the balance of the

opening chukker that ended in a 1-1 tie.

The two teams exchanged goals throughout the second period with Lucas Criado, Dan

Walker and Laprida scoring for FMB while Carlos Gracida, Memo Gracida and Marianito

Obregon (penalty goal) responded with single goals for La Herradura.  The score was

all even at 4-4 after two chukkers.

Goals were hard to come by in the third chukker with fouls and penalty shots accounting

for all of the scoring.  Carlos Gracida converted a 60-yard penalty shot for La Herradura

while Criado scored on penalty shots from 30 and 40-yards, giving FMB a narrow 6-5

halftime lead.

Consecutive goals (one on a penalty conversion) from Criado had FMB in front by three

goals, 8-5 before La Herradura responded.  A single goal from the field from Carlos

Gracida ended the chukker with FMB leading by two goals, 8-6.

Criado and Obregon exchanged goals in the fifth, 9-7, with Carlos Gracida scoring the

final goal of the period to cut the FMB lead to a single goal, 9-8.  

Laprida extended the FMB lead to two goals with a shot from the field in the opening

minute of the sixth chukker.  Carlos Gracida countered with a 40-yard penalty

conversion, 10-9.  Criado’s seventh goal of the game put FMB back on top by two

goals, 11-9.  An FMB foul allowed Carlos Gracida an opportunity to score on another

penalty shot, which he did, 11-10, and moments later he tied it up at 11-11 with a goal

from the field.  The final goal was scored by Criado with the ball hitting the goalpost and

trickling over the line for the victory.

Criado was credited with eight goals on the day (three on penalty shots) and was

named MVP for his efforts.  Laprida scored three times and Dan Walker added a goal.  

Carlos Gracida scored half of his team high eight goals on penalty shots.  Obregon

added two penalty goals and Memo Gracida scored once.

Criado’s mare, La Bamba, was honored as Best Playing Pony.

The final 20-goal tournament of the season, the bombardier Pacific Coast Open, is

slated to begin this week, with a playing schedule yet to be released.  The Bombardier

Pacific Coast Open will mark the end of the high-goal season in Santa Barbara.

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